Am I forgiven?" he asked.

Hester, ashamed and abashed, laid her hand within his. "I am sorry I
spoke so hastily," she said. But the red did not leave her cheeks, nor
the hurt look from her eyes. She blushed for the statement she had made.
"'My father was Aunt Debby's brother.' It was a lie--nothing less than a
lie," she kept saying to herself and the thought spoiled the entire day
for her. It spoiled more than that, too. Perhaps, had she told the
truth, she would never again have need to blush for her lack of name or
to misunderstand her people for not coming in search for her. Her little
sin bore its own fruits with it; yet Hester believed she was paying the
debt by being sorry and ashamed.

"About your going with me," Robert turned to his cousin. "Mother said I
was to play escort and take you anywhere you wished to go."

"Aunt Harriet's not coming may make a difference. The preceptress gave
me permission to go with the understanding that we were in your mother's
charge."

"I shall take as good care of you as mother. Better care, I fancy, for
she would be helpless if she had to manage a machine."

"It is the idea of not living up to the conditions," replied Helen. "If
you and Hester will excuse me, I will explain to Miss Burkham. Perhaps,
she will not object to my going with you. She would if you were not a
cousin."

She went directly to the preceptress and in a few moments returned with
that lady herself, who listened to the story of the difficulties.

"We intended stopping to see Aunt Debby," said Hester. "I wrote her a
note yesterday, telling her to expect us."

"You may go under these conditions," said Miss Burkham, "that you go
directly to Miss Alden's aunt's. If she can accompany you further, very
well. Otherwise you remain at her home until you are ready to return to
school. Under any circumstances you must be here before five o'clock. Be
kind enough to set your timepieces with the tower clock. Then there will
be no excuse for not being here on or before the hour appointed. You may
get your wraps. I shall entertain Mr. Vail until your return."

Miss Burkham was always exacting. Her speech was frank and sometimes
even blunt; but she had such a sense of justice and fitness of things,
that her decisive words were never galling, even to the most sensitive
of the girls. Her manner was gracious and her smile kindly. She would
put herself to no end of trouble to add to the happiness of the pupils;
on the oth